The narrative seemed to call for a decisive intervention from Harry Kane or Romelu Lukaku on the day when English football lost the great Jimmy Greaves. Instead it was all about the intelligence of Thomas Tuchel, who once again displayed his tactical chops by taking this game away from Tottenham at half-time, the introduction of N’Golo Kanté for Mason Mount pushing Chelsea to another commanding win.
Sloppy and vulnerable during a testing first half, Chelsea were transformed once Kanté entered the fray. Tottenham, their early adrenaline fading, were overrun. Chelsea were creating chances at will and although Lukaku did not manage to join in the fun, goals from Thiago Silva, Kanté and Antonio Rüdiger were enough to lift them level with Manchester United and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.